Napkin dispensing mechanism

Abstract

A mechanism for dispensing individual napkins from a napkin stack comprising a sliding actuator, spring biased to extend out of a dispenser housing, connected through a connecting rod to articulate a pivotally mounted advancing bell crank. The normal disposition of the bell crank deploys a pin on the free end thereof adjacent and within a slot on the underside of the napkin stack, the articulating arc of the pin around the pivot being such as to engage the underside of an individual napkin. As the bell crank is thus articulated the napkin is advanced through a slot for use.

I claim: 
     
       1. A napkin dispenser comprising: a housing including an upper chamber and lower chamber, said upper chamber having a hinged access cover forming a slot at the free end thereof, said cover and said upper chamber being conformed in rectangular mating planform;   a plurality of paper napkins arranged in a stack and disposed on the interior of said upper chamber, the lowermost one of said napkins being aligned in a substantially planar alignment with said slot; and   a dispensing mechanism disposed on the interior of said lower chamber including a sliding actuator partly extending into said lower chamber from the exterior thereof, said sliding actuator having two substantially parallel surfaces joined at one end to form a forked structure receiving therebetween a bellcrank, each said surface further including an elongate slot disposed to receive a pivot for said bell crank the longitudinal alignment of said slots being common with the axis of sliding translation of said actuator, said bell crank disposed in the interior of said lower chamber and supported for pivotal motion around said pivot, said pivot extending to support said sliding actuator in translation, a connecting rod connected between said actuator and said bell crank for pivotally articulating said bell crank upon an inward translation of said actuator, said bell crank including a pin on the free end thereof arranged to extend into the interior of said upper chamber over a segment of said pivotal articulation of said bell crank for engaging said lowermost one of said napkins, and for dispensing said lowermost napkin out of said housing through said slot.   
     
     
       2. Apparatus according to claim 1 further comprising: spring means disposed in said lower chamber for urging said actuator towards the exterior thereof.   
     
     
       3. Apparatus according to claim 2 further comprising: manual articulating means formed on the exterior of said lower chamber and connected to said actuator for manual articulation thereof.